Focused Passage

Galatians 4:21-31

No Longer Slaves: Sonship, Pastoral Anguish, and Children of Promise

Paul moves from the temporary minority of heirs under guardians, to redemption and adoption through God's sent Son, to the Spirit's cry of sonship, then to pastoral anguish over the Galatians' regression, and finally to the contrast between slavery and promise through Hagar and Sarah.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

23His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

24These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.

25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

26But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

29At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.

30But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”

31Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 21

Original words

TellΛέγετέG3004Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralmeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular[you] whoοἱG3588Article - Vocative Masculine PluralwantθέλοντεςG2309Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Masculine Pluralto beεἶναιG1510Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveunderὑπὸG5259Preposition[the] lawνόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbdo you not understand [what]ἀκούετεG191Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singularlaw [says]νόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 22

Original words

ForγὰρG1063Conjunctionit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionAbrahamἈβραὰμG11Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularhadἔσχενG2192Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartwoδύοG1417Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralsonsυἱοὺςG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine PluraloneἕναG1520Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularbyἐκG1537PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularslave womanπαιδίσκηςG3814Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the other]ἕναG1520Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularbyἐκG1537PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularfree [woman]ἐλευθέραςG1658Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • See Genesis 16:15 and Genesis 21:2–3.
Verse 23

Original words

-ἀλλ’G235Conjunction-μὲνG3303ConjunctionHis [son]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularbyἐκG1537PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularslave womanπαιδίσκηςG3814Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwas bornγεγέννηταιG1080Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singularaccording toκατὰG2596Preposition[the] fleshσάρκαG4561Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[but]δὲG1161Conjunction[his son]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularbyἐκG1537PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularfree [woman]ἐλευθέραςG1658Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular[was born] throughδι’*G1223Prepositionthe〈τῆς〉G3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularpromiseἐπαγγελίαςG1860Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 24

Original words

These [things]ἅτινάG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter PluralvvvἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularserve as illustrationsἀλληγορούμεναG238Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter PluralforγάρG1063Conjunction[the women]αὗταιG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine PluralrepresentεἰσινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltwoδύοG1417Adjective - Nominative Feminine PluralcovenantsδιαθῆκαιG1242Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural-μὲνG3303ConjunctionOne [covenant]μίαG1520Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular[is] fromἀπὸG575PrepositionMountὄρουςG3735Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularSinaiΣινᾶG4614Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular[and bears] childrenγεννῶσαG1080Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine SingularintoεἰςG1519PrepositionslaveryδουλείανG1397Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularThisἥτιςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHagarἉγάρG28Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 25

Original words

NowδὲG1161Conjunction-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularHagarἉγὰρG28Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularstands forἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularMountὄροςG3735Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularSinaiΣινᾶG4614Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularinἐνG1722Preposition-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularArabiaἈραβίᾳG688Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandδὲG1161ConjunctioncorrespondsσυστοιχεῖG4960Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto theτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine Singularpresent-dayνῦνG3568AdverbJerusalemἸερουσαλήμG2419Noun - Dative Feminine SingularbecauseγὰρG1063Conjunctionshe is in slaveryδουλεύειG1398Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularwithμετὰG3326PrepositionherαὐτῆςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralchildrenτέκνωνG5043Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 26

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularJerusalemἸερουσαλὴμG2419Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularaboveἄνωG507AdverbisἐστίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfreeἐλευθέραG1658Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular[and she]ἥτιςG3748Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralmotherμήτηρG3384Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 27

Original words

ForγάρG1063Conjunctionit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularRejoiceΕὐφράνθητιG2165Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 2nd Person Singular[O] barren womanστεῖραG4723Noun - Vocative Feminine SingularwhoG3588Article - Vocative Feminine SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbbears no childrenτίκτουσαG5088Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Feminine Singularbreak forthῥῆξονG4486Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctioncry aloudβόησονG994Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular[you] whoG3588Article - Vocative Feminine Singular{have} neverοὐκG3756AdverbtravailedὠδίνουσαG5605Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Feminine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionvvvπολλὰG4183Adjective - Nominative Neuter PluralmoreμᾶλλονG3123Adverb[are] theτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralchildrenτέκναG5043Noun - Nominative Neuter Pluralof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singulardesolate womanἐρήμουG2048Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularthanG2228Conjunctionof her whoτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularhasἐχούσηςG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Feminine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singulara husbandἄνδραG435Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Isaiah 54:1
Verse 28

Original words

NowδέG1161ConjunctionyouὙμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person PluralbrothersἀδελφοίG80Noun - Vocative Masculine PlurallikeκατὰG2596PrepositionIsaacἸσαὰκG2464Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularareἐστέG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralchildrenτέκναG5043Noun - Nominative Neuter Pluralof promiseἐπαγγελίαςG1860Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • WH, BYZ, and TR we
Verse 29

Original words

At that timeτότεG5119Adverbhoweverἀλλ’G235Conjunctionthe [son]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularbornγεννηθεὶςG1080Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularbyκατὰG2596Preposition[the] fleshσάρκαG4561Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularpersecutedἐδίωκενG1377Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularthe [son born]τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularbyκατὰG2596Preposition[the] SpiritΠνεῦμαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularvvvὥσπερG5618Adverb[It is] the sameοὕτωςG3779Adverb. . .καὶG2532ConjunctionnowνῦνG3568Adverb
Verse 30

Original words

ButἈλλὰG235ConjunctionwhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular{does} theG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularScriptureγραφήG1124Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularsayλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularExpelἜκβαλεG1544Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularslave womanπαιδίσκηνG3814Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionherαὐτῆςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularsonυἱὸνG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularforγὰρG1063ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularslave woman’sπαιδίσκηςG3814Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularsonυἱὸςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvοὐG3756AdverbvvvμὴG3361Adverbwill never share in the inheritanceκληρονομήσειG2816Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularwithμετὰG3326PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularfree [woman’s]ἐλευθέραςG1658Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularsonυἱοῦG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Genesis 21:10
Verse 31

Original words

ThereforeδιόG1352ConjunctionbrothersἀδελφοίG80Noun - Vocative Masculine Pluralwe areἐσμὲνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralnotοὐκG3756AdverbchildrenτέκναG5043Noun - Nominative Neuter Pluralof [the] slave womanπαιδίσκηςG3814Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularbutἀλλὰG235Conjunctionof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularfree [woman]ἐλευθέραςG1658Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.